Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Fichryaftora’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Fichryaftora’, characterized by its upright to outwardly spreading and uniformly and broadly mounded plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; dense and full plant form; uniform and freely flowering habit; medium-size decorative-type inflorescences with bronze orange-colored ray florets; late season flowering habit, grown under natural season conditions, plants begin flowering in early to mid-October in the United Kingdom; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum X morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘FICHRYAFTORA’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum X morifolium, commercially grown as a garden Chrysanthemum plant, referred to as code number 65667 in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/497,574 and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Fichryaftora’.

The new Chrysanthemum plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Fareham, Hampshire, United Kingdom. The objective of the breeding program is to create new late season flowering garden Chrysanthemum plants with numerous attractive inflorescences.

The new Chrysanthemum plant originated from a cross-pollination made in January, 2010 by the Inventor in Fareham, Hampshire, United Kingdom of a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum X morifolium identified as code number 82796, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum X morifolium identified as code number 92113, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Fareham, Hampshire, United Kingdom in September, 2010.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum plant by terminal vegetative cuttings was first conducted in Fareham, Hampshire, United Kingdom in December, 2010. Asexual reproduction by terminal vegetative cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Fichryaftora’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Fichryaftora’ as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant:

-   -   1. Upright to outwardly spreading and uniformly and broadly         mounded plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit; dense and full plant form.     -   4. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Medium-size decorative-type inflorescences with bronze         orange-colored ray florets.     -   6. Late season flowering habit, grown under natural season         conditions, plants begin flowering in early to mid-October in         the United Kingdom.     -   7. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower later than plants of         the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the female parent         selection differ in ray floret color as plants of the female         parent selection have inflorescences with yellow-colored ray         florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower later than plants of         the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the male parent selection         differ in ray floret color as plants of the male parent         selection have inflorescences with golden yellow-colored ray         florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of Chrysanthemum X morifolium ‘Fichrydayor’, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 15/732,507. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of ‘Fichrydayor’ in time to flower as plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower much later than plants of ‘Fichrydayor’. In addition, plants of the new Chrysanthemum have slightly smaller inflorescences than plants of ‘Fichrydayor’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum plant.

The photograph is a top perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Fichryaftora’ grown in a 14-cm container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the summer and autumn in 14-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Fareham, Hampshire, United Kingdom and under cultural practices typical of commercial garden Chrysanthemum production. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures ranged from 17° C. to 21° C. and light levels averaged 6,000 lux. Plants were grown under long day/short night conditions for about six weeks (including propagation period) and then grown under short day/long night conditions to induce inflorescence initiation and development. Plants were twelve weeks old when the photograph and detailed description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Fifth Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum X morifolium ‘Fichryaftora’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum X morifolium identified as code number 82796,             not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum X morifolium identified as code number 92113,             not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at             temperatures about 21° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About twelve days at             temperatures about 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at temperatures about 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at temperatures about 21° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; typically             light brown in color, actual color of the roots is dependent             on substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and             formulation, substrate temperature and physiological age of             roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous decorative-type garden             Chrysanthemum; stems upright to outwardly spreading giving a             uniformly broadly mounded appearance to the plant; numerous             lateral branches and relatively short internodes, dense and             full plant form; moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 23 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 36 cm.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit; about 17 lateral             branches develop after removal of terminal apex (pinching).         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 19 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Internode length: About 1.2 cm. Strength: Strong. Aspect:             About 5° from vertical and then bending upwardly. Texture:             Fine pubescence. Color: Close to 146C. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 3.9 cm.         -   Width.—About 2.9 cm.         -   Shape.—Palmately-lobed; roughly ovate with three to five             lobes.         -   Apex.—Broadly acuminate.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Slightly dentate and palmately lobed; sinuses             between lateral lobes mostly divergent.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Fine pubescence; slightly             rough; veins prominent on lower surface.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 139A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to N138B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137A; venation,             close to 148B. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 147B; venation, close to 138B.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 9 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Fine pubescence; slightly rough.             Color, upper surface: Close to 148B. Color, lower surface:             Close to 138B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Form and flowering habit.—Decorative-type inflorescence form             with ligulate-shaped ray florets; inflorescences borne on             terminals above and beyond the foliar plane; disc and ray             florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum; freely             flowering habit with about 289 inflorescences developing per             plant during the flowering season.         -   Fragrance.—Fragrant; pungent, herbaceous.         -   Flowering response.—Late season flowering habit, plants             exposed to natural season conditions begin flowering in             early to mid-October in the United Kingdom; plants flower             uniformly and continuously during the flowering season.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color             and substance for about three to five weeks on the plant;             inflorescences persistent.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 4 mm. Diameter: About             6 mm. Shape: Oblate. Color: Close to 143A.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 4 cm.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 1.2 cm.         -   Disc diameter.—Not conspicuous.         -   Receptacles.—Height: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Shape: Conical. Color: Close to 145A.         -   Ray florets.—Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About             119 arranged in about nine whorls. Orientation: Initially             upright, then about 80° from vertical. Length: About 1.3 cm.             Width: About 5 mm. Shape: Ligulate. Apex: Emarginate. Base:             Fused into a short tube. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; double-keeled. Color: When             opening, upper surface: Close to N25A. When opening, lower             surface: Close to 14C. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to             N163A; with development, color becoming closer to 167A.             Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 162A; with             development, color becoming closer to 164C.         -   Disc florets.—Number of disc florets per inflorescence:             About 19 massed at the center of the receptacle;             inconspicuous. Length: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Shape: Tubular, elongated; apices, acute. Texture, inner and             outer surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, when opening: Apex:             Close to 9A. Mid-section: Close to 9B. Base: Close to 9C.             Color, fully opened: Apex: Close to 14B. Mid-section: Close             to 5B. Base: Close to 139D.         -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 18             arranged in about three whorls. Length: About 6 mm. Width:             About 2 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Obtuse.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous;             waxy. Texture, lower surface: Fine pubescence; waxy. Color,             upper surface: Close to 143B. Color, lower surface: Close to             143A.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 3.2 cm.             Diameter, terminal peduncle: About 1 mm. Angle: Erect to             about 10° from vertical. Strength: Moderately strong;             flexible. Texture: Densely pubescent. Color: Close to 147B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: None observed. Gynoecium:             Present only on ray florets. Pistil length: About 3 mm.             Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to 9B. Style             length: About 1 mm. Style color: Close to 1B. Ovary color:             Close to 155A.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production has not been             observed on plants of the new Chrysanthemum to date. -   Disease & pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common     to Chrysanthemum plants has not been observed on plants of the new     Chrysanthemum to date. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have     demonstrated good garden performance and to tolerate temperatures     from about 0° C. to about 35° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Fichryaftora’ as illustrated and described. 